Scattered or in small groups under conifers, e.g. pines (Pinus spp), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and spruce (Picea spp.); coastal forests and and lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada; fruiting from late fall to mid-winter; occasional.

Edibility

Edible according to the literature, but mediocre.

Comments

An almond-like odor and viscid, greyish cap are hallmarks of Hygrophorus agathosmus. The odor while pleasing, is not unique, thus it should be compared with other almond-scented waxy caps. These include Hygrophorus odoratus, a small species reported from Idaho under conifers. It also has viscid, grey cap, but the gills are strongly, not subdecurrent. Hygrophorus bakerensis is a large, robust species, the cap up to 12 cm broad, with an ochre-tinged, brownish cap; Hygrophorus pacificus has a brown to tawny-brown, often wavy-margined cap and occurs under spruce (Picea spp).